Stress is Gone Poem (B & W photos)

I wrote a poem for today’s post (think I was inspired by my poet friend Doc Jeff)

Linked to P’s Sunday B & W

“Stress is Gone”

Looking back

Remembering the stress

That once was

And no longer is…

Smiling

Looking Ahead

Ready for change

which might bring challenge

But also brings freshness

….and so much good.

Looking at right now

Embracing contentment

while remembering stress

Recalling that pause

To exhale

Snap a photo

Find beauty

Quiet down

Breathe

Glancing back

Remembering the stress

That once was

And no longer is…

This photo was in a toss folder, but something about it made me keep it. The little flowers in the cluster are not fully seen, but are identifiable enough to see shapes. And isn’t this just like life sometimes? We move through days of challenge and stress where things are not as clear as we might want (need) them to be. We can still see the overall picture, but more insight is needed. And so we chill. We push on, and do the best with what we have and what we can see at the time. Then later, when more clarity comes, we are able to put things together, problem solve, etc. And so we need to also keep this in mind when we look back later with all that 20/20 hindsight clarity – we must remember that we make decisions in ‘real time” and often with limited scope – and so let’s have some grace as we look back, look at now, and look ahead.

I also almost tossed this photo. I was not sure if the angle was right and I rotated it and then rotated it back. Finally let it be… and smiled at the unique beauty to behold. Sometimes this is also what we do in life. We accept and let things be…. and accept the beauty that is there… even if it isn’t lining up exactly the way we might want it to…. and we maybe find a reason to smile. And in this shot, the whisps and the backdrop add to the mood, and it is linked to T’s weekly smile.Another photo rescued from the toss pile, and I should add the day I snapped these photos, we were picking up my son’s car. It was finally ready and we checked that off of our list. The calm in the photo mirrors some of the calm I felt that day. And keep this in mind – if you are going through a trial – or have stress that seems to be building – remember that it will pass. It will – so try to make the most of what you can with what you have right now. And when I see these photos, rescued not for quality, but because I found some of the beauty layered within – well it reminds me that this is what we do with life many times – we embrace the challenges and we problem solve – while we look for good to behold – and we monitor our perspective. Sometimes it really is “all HOW we look at it.”

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let’s make sure we find beauty around us – no matter what is going on.

Ahh…that stress is gone, let it be. So glad you retrieved your lovely photos from the toss file, I think they’re beautiful in the perspective they give, especially with the b&w and then the colour one at the end. Looking back and seeing things with fresh eyes is a wonderful thing. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I felt calm reading your lovely poem Yvette… it is what it is 🙂 ❤ ❤ ❤

Thanks Sherri and we both know this quite well huh?
🐦(that emoji is a robin) ha
And I think this post was overflow from working in my chapter from Lady by the River last night.
Maybe another example of how stirring up gratefulness is like turning on a faucet of more- which I know can work the other way – where down thoughts breed more and more –
Hm

Thanks for dropping by – I have the hardest time accessing your blog! It takes me to your main biz page – which is a nice homepage – but cannot easily access your posts! I will go back to the link you left a while back
😉

Just wanted to let you know that I worked on the gravatar and put it in the side bar of the page. If you could let me know if it works better now. Here is the link to the home page- https://ibdesignsusa.wordpress.com/

I am sure these pictures should be in the “toss” bin. Sometimes, I have pictures that I do not like them at first but later on I feel that they do not too bad. The opposite is also true that I feel them good and later one they do not look that good. I hate the later than the first case.

You are right, we can only make decision based on what we know or things we have learned from the past. Looking back at thing is not an apple to apple comparison or should make you feel bad later either. I completely agreed thing will pass (good or bad) 🙂

Your poem could be a New Year’s post, and I’ve never seen a Queen Anne’s Lace flower that I didn’t think was gorgeous. I don’t care that it is part of the carrot family or that some think it is a weed – it’s gorgeous. 🙂

Judy!
Thanks for that –
Being a weed might add something to the theme here –
Ha!
And thx for he name if this
Also – I can see what you mean about New Years and for some reason – fall feels like the new year start for me – oct and nov are like my January –
Happy thanksgiving (with your turkey and or popcorn ha!)

A beautiful and insightful poem. Great advice for anyone at just about anytime! It made me reflect back on some of my more stressful days and realize that, thank goodness, I made it! So far, so good! 🙂 And I’m glad you saved those lovely photos from your toss pile. I love your wisdom about the layers of life. Such a wonderful post!

The title jumped out at me. The Stress is Gone.Such a relief to look back on challenging times and have them be replaced by smoother roads.
As to the photos perspectives change and what once looked as useless becomes a perfect fit. This is my problem with having thousands of photos and not wanting to delete any just in case I might see a different use for them one day.

Sue – I can only imagine the many photos you have from your travels and bike trips!!
I started deleting photos because it was so laborious scrolling too many – and I am “getting” good at deleting aggressively –
And thanks for dropping by amiga
Hi to Dave
💕✌🏼️

Another beautiful poem!! And I can relate to it very much as I´m currently learning to meditate! I started a couple of weeks ago in order to not to be too upset about my eye condition. It´s very difficult but I already feel some benefits from it, although I don´t manage to free my mind from all thoughts for more than a few seconds 😉 But the way is the goal, and I know that I just have to be persistent and keep doing it… 🙂

Oh glad it is helping – for me – yoga has been key.
And calms me – and I did notice that going to classes made a difference because when I did yoga at home I never went more than 30 or 40 minutes – but at class I did 60 or 75 and it was key for me (discovered this after doing) but at about the 50 minute mark I am all mellowed out and really chill.
Never knew what I was missing

Anyhow – sending you healing wishes – and glad the meditation is helping….
❤️
And thx for dropping by miss G – my poems are usually free verse with simple rhymes – I like it basic !

I know what you mean, sometimes it is really best with an instruction, especially since you can do awfully wrong things when you´re doing yoga not correctly – a friend of mine teaches it and tells me horror stories from time to time 😉
I´m glad it has such a wonderful effect on you! I tried it, but somehow I prefer Tai Chi…
And regarding your poems: I absolutely love them in their basicness, I always think that´s the key of true poetry, and it´s actually so much harder to say things short but sweet. All the great poets like Robert Frost did it more or less likewise 🙂

first – regarding yoga – you are so right that correctness matters.
and I did all that i could with adrienne reed’s home videos – and her videos are amazing because she is actually a phenomenal teacher – and I think you know this from the art world you are in – that not all good artists make good art teachers; similarly, not all good yogis make good yoga instructors! In fact, sometimes the best yogis SUCK at teaching and so I really do not care what pretzel position you can put your body in – if you can’t help students do poses (correctly) and lead a class with varied ability levels – you should not be teaching.
and when I was doing warrior three at home, i was starting to feel a slight pain in the knee and side- and a teacher should me that my hips needed to be facing forward and straightened by half an inch…. and voila – not only was the slight pain gone, but I moved deeper into the pose and felt an amazing stretch.
my point was that your teacher’s point was right about “an do awfully wrong things” ha!

and thanks again for the sweet comment about my poems.
a while ago I used to actually leave a note to the “poetry police” to not leave me comments about how I could improve my verse (seriously, there was lady blogger who meant well, but she loved to visit blogs in her teacher mode and had the nerve to criticize some of us who use this free verse that celebrates “basicness” – good word by the way
and so what she viewed as maybe elementary and too basic is a preferred style that uses words – light and fun words with basic rhyme schemes- to deliver a message from the heart.
and to be honest Miss G – I get worn out reading poems that are too deep. I appreciate their genius work – I appreciate the time that goes into sophisticated meter or use of allegory and symbolism, but not what I always enjoy.
xox

I really had to laugh when I read what you wrote about yoga! 🙂 It really is true: people who are excellent at whatever they do, be writing, speaking latin!, or playing the violin, are not necessarily the best teachers as well! 🙂 I think artist can be a bit egomaniac in a way, and teaching seems to be the exact opposite at times, wanting to share your knowledge and make it accesible to other people…
And I know the “Poetry police” too, although in my case it´s the “painting police” 😉 I´m sure they mean good by giving you advice but to be quite honest: I wouldn´t post whatever it is I post, if I were not happy with it in some point or other, so criticsim at that point doesn´t make much sense to me… During the creative process however it can be very welcome, but it has to be nicely wrapped and not whacked at my sensitive head 😉
Normally I don´t go about and tell people what they should do, and it´s the same for me here on wordpress. What I do is tell people how much I like their stuff and just be happy looking at it 😀
I have a lovely friend in “real life” who lives the teacher mode every day! It can be a bit tyring to meet with her and I usually don´t show her my art because her comments are often …mmmh, I don´t know how to put it, but well, most of the time I don´t even get her point, to be honest 😉 She has a very different perspective on art as such, but a wonderful person anyway. And having been a teacher all her life, I know why she´s how she is 😉
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Oh I have so many little thoughts brewing from your nice reply- but will limit it to three things – because we could always email if needed – ha!
Well keep in mind that feedback is also skewed (or filtered) by those in our inner circle – and so even if the friend of yours had helpful insight, she might not see your work with fresh eyes because she knows you – does that make sense?
This is why we don’t tell close family our wildest dreams – they will shoot it down – and the saying “a prophet is without honor is his hometown” hints at how we can’t see with fresh eyes 👀 most of the time.
And so your art works might always see beginner or student long after you advanced levels beyond her.
Then the subjective part – know an artist who submitted a painting that was rejected and someone even said to toss it. A few years later he submitted it to an art show and it was selected and “hung”
And teaching art takes on a new dimension in the school system when some art teachers are teaching 800 kids a week – some have double – the most I have had (at private schools) has been a roster of 150 kids – and I did that on purpose – but when I taught elementary science (for years on and off) I did workshops and events and we had larger groups and large class after large class.
Ok – lastly – I agree with you on how we should not say what others “should” do – whether panting or writing – it robs essence if we modify too much – guess it depends on situation – and thankfully Monet did not listen to folks who thought his work was too simple and undefined – 😉

It’s so lovely to read your thoughts and see how much we agree on these subjects! 😃 And thank you so much for making me realise how it might be other people especially the ones that know me personally see my work. I admit to have failed in seeing this before and am grateful that you opened my eyes 😄It makes a lot of sense to me!
The dimensions art teaching has undergone sound horrible! 800 students! It’s very symptomatic for our socities…
And I agree again: I’m so glad too that Money didn’t listen to his critics 😉 saw one of his enormous waterlily paintings in London a couple of years ago and it was magnificent! 😃 Have a lovely day! xxxxxxx

Oh I bet that Monet was wonderful! Seeing pieces in person can change a person – I used to remind folks of that –
Oh and the art teachers with hundreds of kids – they actually get a lot of great lessons in! I used to be in an art teacher group and one of the teachers taught “art on a cart” and had a couple thousand students each week- and she traveled to a few schools –
Rolling her cart into classrooms for in class art lessons and it was successful.
So it is just a different “way” of teaching –
Well thanks for your reply – enjoyed our comment chat Miss G

It was and it really does change people. My mom for example was never very fond of van Gogh but then she saw his sunflowers up close and she fell instantly in love 😉 Have an awesome weekend dear Yvette! xxxxxxxxx 😚

I always thought starry night was over commercialized and just another heavy blue price –
But then one day I made three versions of it for a class sample – made a watercolor version – a poster – and small acrylic – and fell in love with the piece! I believe it is very special – ahhhh

Oh that must have been great to fall to sleep 😴 with- and the “experience” with starry night led to my reminding others that we get to “know” world of art like a friend (well in a way) and like your “in the mood for Marc….” post showed too!

Well thanks for dropping by – and yoga seriously rescued me and is my “thing ”
And side note – I have followed your. Log for s little while this year and my mind always called you “Arthur’s” child –
Bah!
And I know it is a Thursday’s child – but early on I read quickly and Arthur stuck in my head!

When I'm not plotting my next book, I watch movies and television programs, both new and old, on Acorn TV, Amazon, BritBox, Hulu, and Netflix. Afterward, I write reviews and scatter popcorn kernels. Whatever floats your remote is fine with me.